The Untold Story
by ProphyWife
Summary: Sometimes the story that is the most important to the legend is the one that is left untold. I've been living living in Harry's shadow for as long as I can remember...but we are always connected no matter what. This is my story of the boy wizard. Read and Review please!
1. Chapter 1

This morning started out like every morning for Ms. Harriet Haverty, her coffee she had made back at her apartment was cold by the time she reached the bus stop and her feet ached because of the heels she was forced to wear to work. She took a sip of her lukewarm coffee brushing strands of brown hair back into her hastily made bun as she looked down the street for the bus. Several other people were already at the bus stop waiting with her and normally she didn't pay attention to them but one man caught her eye on this particular day.

He wore what looked like a bathrobe cinched up tight around his waist that was a deep maroon color and had lace around the cuffs. The image looked even more ridiculous because he held a brief case in one hand and had on black dress shoes that were quite normal. Harriet looked the man over briefly but was forced to divert her eyes when he turned and caught her staring. To her surprise, he shuffled past a few people and came to stand right next to her.

"Did you not hear the news?" he asked in a low voice keeping his eyes forward.

Harriet looked at the man in wonder and huffed, "No, and frankly I don't know who you are so if you please keep to yourself about it."

A few faces turned and looked at their direction in curiosity. The man opened his mouth to say more but thought better of it and closed it returning the silence to the bus stop. Harriet felt uneasy standing next to the man until she heard the familiar rumble of the bus climbing up the hill and she was shuffled into the familiarity of her normal commute once again.

Finally reaching her desk, she set her purse down and promptly threw her now stale coffee into the trash bin that stood next to the wall. Harriett was unfortunate enough to have the desk right by the break room so whenever someone made a smelly lunch she usually went home smelling like that person's left overs. She also had the unfortunate luck of working for the most unpleasant man in the company, Mr. Dursley.

Thankfully, he seemed to be in a good mood today when he came into the office. She could tell this was the case by the fact that he barely said a hello and went straight into his office and closed the door. Must have been his big order of drills that kept him distracted which was fine by her. Harriett turned on her computer and started to settle into her morning routine of scheduling and answering phone calls when a loud thump came from the break room. Harriett jumped and looked up in the direction of the window that filled most of the wall of the break room. She could see several people standing there with their coffee mugs loitering about the window.

Looking over her shoulder in the direction of Mr. Dursley's office, Harriett noticed that his door was still closed so she pushed back from her desk. She grabbed her empty "Hang in there" cat coffee mug as a pretense and walked in the direction of the break room casually.

"Hello there!" She called brightly to those milling about the window as she reached over for the coffee pot filling up her mug. The others didn't seem to notice her, but one man who worked two desks down from her looked in her direction.

"Harriett, you've got to come take a look at this…the owls, they've gone mad"

"Owls?" Harriett wondered aloud walking over with her coffee mug held in both hands. She stopped next to the man and peered out at the bright sunshine streaming through the window allowing her eyes to take a few moments to adjust to the brightness. Then she saw it. Owls, hundreds of them in all different colors, flapping about in the trees and in the skies all chattering to each other filling the world with sound. So many owls filled the sky that some were being knocked off course and another owl flapped into the window righting itself again.

Harriett's stomach dropped as her hands began to quake sending ripples through her coffee. The man didn't take notice of her reaction and continued speaking.

"On my way to work I saw a lot of people dressed up all funny like too, what do you think it means Harriett?"

Harriett didn't want to think what it meant, she simply left the question unanswered and returned to her desk with her coffee mug trying to compose herself. The man at the bus stop was easy enough to ignore, there were always people who were eccentric, but the owls added a whole new level to what this could mean.

Harriett was so deep in thought she almost missed Mr. Dursley walk out of his office with a determined look on his face. She could tell he was on the warpath and was looking for someone to yell at so she stayed quiet as he passed her desk with out a word to her. It was a relief not to be on his list this morning because Harriett didn't think she could have handled it.

She continued to try to get work done until Mr. Dursley returned about an hour later. He looked troubled this time but as he was passing her desk he called out to her informally.

"Do not let anyone disturb me this afternoon."

"Yes, Mr. Dursley." Harriett called after him right as he reached his office door and promptly shut it on her reply. She knew this was as best a chance as she would ever get to leave early so she gathered up her things and briskly walked out. Do not disturb meant do not disturb after all.

Back out on the street she began to breathe a little easier as she walked down the familiar sidewalk listening to the sounds of the city. All the sounds were familiar despite the swarms of owls that seemed to be flying over head and she ducked into one of her favorite little parks to sit down on a park bench. Setting her purse down beside her she relaxed against the back of the bench until she felt a lump and heard a tiny squawk of protest.

Harriett jumped up and looked down at the park bench to find a tiny gray owl with ruffled feathers staring up at her with an annoyed expression. It squawked out another protest and held out its leg to her dutifully. Almost by reflex Harriett removed the tiny scroll from its leg and the owl flew off back into the sky to join the other owls.

Holding the scroll in her trembling hands, Harriett unrolled it to find words written in beautiful ink lettering. She already had a notion of who had written it just by the exquisite penmanship.

"I need to speak with you right away, it is urgent." The letter read.

Looking down to the bottom of the page her suspicions were confirmed, it was signed, "Professor McGonagall"

Harriett returned from work later on that evening distraught. The letter she had received from the owl that morning had weighed on her mind all day and she had not been able to concentrate on her work. The letter was vague about the meeting time so that could only mean Professor McGonagall was going to pop in whenever she pleased. Harriet had been very careful to make sure her life was free of all things magical so a witch who just happen to apparate and have a chat with her was quite unwelcome. However, Professor McGonagall was not someone you said no to.

All of Harriett's fears seemed to come to a head when she reached the top of the stairs and turned left down the creaky hallway of the old apartment building. She stood in front of the simple brown door that held the numbers of her apartment hesitating before pulling out her keys to open it. Was she going to find a severe looking Professor McGonagall standing in the middle of her living room? Maybe she had been kind enough to wash the dishes in the kitchen while she waited.

Pushing the door open slowly, Harriett walked through to her apartment and deposited her keys on a side table that stood by he door. Most of the lights were on and a faint muffling sound was coming from the kitchen. "I'm home" she called out to the quiet apartment trying to keep up the pretense that everything was normal.

"Oh, Mrs. Haverty! Welcome home!" called out a chipper voice in the direction of the kitchen as a smiling round face popped itself around the corner.

Harriett smiled at her nanny and set down her purse on the table before walking towards her. She had hired Jillian to help out during the day while she worked. It wasn't the most ideal situation for her, but in order for her to continue working it was the only option. It was something that had been forced upon her having no help from any family because of the decision she had made to raise a child with out a father.

The kitchen was small and cozy with white linoleum tiles on the floor and white cabinets to match. Everything looked sterile in the bright fluorescent light above, but it was still home. In the highchair by the breakfast table sat a pink, chubby baby with tufts of brown hair starting to grow in on her head. Her hazel eyes looked about the room curiously seeming to take in everything. She chewed happily on her spoon drool running in rivers down her fingers onto the tray in front of her. Harriet smiled at her and walked over picking her up despite the food on her bib and the drool on her face. Nothing could keep her from her baby Celeste, not even all the drool in the world.

"Alright Mrs. Haverty, I guess I'll be leaving then!" Jillian called out from the living room. Before Harriett had opened her mouth to call her goodbye the front door had slammed closed. Rolling her eyes she hugged Celeste softly as she cooed in her arms.

"What do you say we get ready for bed then?" She asked Celeste as she looked up at her with her hazel eyes.

Once Celeste was bathed and in her crib sleeping soundly, Harriet made her way to her bedroom and flopped down on her bed. She puffed out a heavy sigh and began to unbutton her suit jacket when the sound of someone clearing their throat stopped her. She sat up and turned towards the bedroom window to find a dark shadow backlit by the moonlight streaming through it. Clicking on the bedroom light, Harriett breathed out a sigh of relief to find a worried Professor McGonagall standing there.

"Professor! You scared me half to death…" Harriet cried putting a hand on her chest as she started to breathe normally once again.

"I'm sorry Harriet, but I did send word I was coming. I do have some grave news to tell you and I figured it was best for me to be the one to tell you it since you have no contact with the wizarding world anymore."

Professor McGonagall sat on the edge of the bed next to Harriet and placed her bony fingers over her hand soothingly. Harriet looked into her worried eyes expectantly staying quiet.

"James Potter is dead Harriet…" Professor McGonagall said softly almost in a whisper.

There was a long pause before Harriet's hand flew to her mouth as she let out a sob of both agony and horror. Tears filled her eyes and stung as she fought to compose words of questions she wanted answered immediately.

"It was you-know-who Harriet, he killed James and his wife Lily. He attempted to hurt their son Harry but somehow the small boy was protected from his magic."

Tears overflowing from her eyes now she sobbed, "their son?"

"Yes Harriet, their son Harry. He's safe now but we had to send him to live with his muggle Aunt and Uncle. That's why I am here…James had a special place for you in his heart and I need you to do something for me."

Harriet nodded her agreement, "Anything, just tell me." Although the words she spoke hurt her heart more than ever, she would do anything for James.

"I need you to keep an eye on Harry and make sure he is safe. Dumbledoor trusts these muggle relatives of his but I am not so sure. I figure since you have been living as a muggle for so long…" She trailed off her meaning understood.

"I will professor…" Harriet consented whipping the tears with the back of her hands and straightening up to compose herself.

"I know it's a lot to ask Harriet, especially considering your history with James…"

"Say no more Professor…" Harriet interrupted not wanting to bring back hurtful memories, "I'd still do anything for James."

Professor McGonagall nodded and handed her a piece of paper, "That's the address that Harry has been taken to, see that you are close enough to watch him but far enough away that he is never aware of your presence."

Harriet took the paper in her hands as the professor placed a hand on her shoulder getting up from the side of the bed. She squeezed Harriet's shoulder gently as she whispered her thanks and disappeared as quickly as she had come.

Harriet continued to stare down at the paper in her hands lost in her own thoughts. Lily and James had a son and now it was up to her to watch over this small boy. Fate had been so cruel to her in the past and now it was only getting its second laugh at her.

Unfolding the paper, Harriet read aloud, "Privet Drive" and then sighed to herself. It was going to take a lot for her to move both herself and her daughter but somehow she knew that she owed James at least that despite what he put her through.


	2. Chapter 2

The tea kettle chattered as Harriett stared outside her kitchen window. The kitchen had been painted a happy yellow color but this did little for her mood. She had noticed that her magnolia trees had started to blossom and the large white flowers dotted the big bushy foliage. She sighed, even this did not brighten her dark mood.

Grabbing her crutches that lay against the counter she hobbled over to the stove and took the kettle off the fire. After turning the stove off, she leaned heavily on the arm rests of her crutches to pour herself a cup of steaming hot water. Reaching over to grab a bag of her morning tea, her hand knocked into a large fuzzy objected that yowled out a protest. Harriet looked over to only be met with a disapproving hazel eyed stare of a chestnut cat on her kitchen counter.

"What is it Tufty?" She questioned the cat reaching around her to grab her tea bag out of the box in the cabinet. The cat stared on not replying but its anger was clearly deepening.

"You know this doesn't make me any happier…besides YOU are half the reason my leg is broken you know" Harriet scolded the cat as she dipped the tea bag inside her coffee mug.

The cat replied with a hiss and jumped down from the buttery colored counter to join her other cat companions who had all sauntered into the kitchen looking for a meal. Sighing, Harriet took a sip of her tea and looked at the calendar that was placed on her mint green fridge in plain view. Todays date was circled with a thick red marker around it to remind her that Harry was to come over this afternoon to spend the day with her. However, in her current condition she couldn't do much for the boy.

The Dursleys trusted her to watch Harry whenever they wanted to do a family outing without him. Today was especially important because it was that awful boy Dudley's birthday and he wouldn't have Harry anywhere near him during his day. It really hurt Harriet so much to see Harry's polite but crestfallen face as she opened the door to greet him whenever he came over. She wished that he could have a better time visiting her, but that would only make the Dursleys more suspicious of her and they would probably prevent Harry from coming over if he was having a good time.

Harry looked so much like his father, the dark hair that stuck out in every direction and the mysterious smile. Harry was always polite but she definitely caught him a time or two trying to escape out the bathroom window just like his father would probably do if he had been stuck in the same circumstances. Harriet's heart hurt whenever she looked at Harry, it was like loosing James all over again whenever he came over. However, she had a duty to fulfill and she was going to do it for both James and Lily Potter.

Harriet set her tea down and picked up her phone that was mounted on the yellow daisy wallpaper of the kitchen. Wrapping her fingers of her left hand in the tangled cord, she punched the telephone number of the Dursleys with her right index finger and waited for the ring.

"Hello, Dursley residence!" came the bright and cheerful voice of Petunia Dursley. Her voice was always so thickly sweet it made Harriet sick.

"Hello Petunia, it's Mrs. Arabella Figg… I am so sorry to have to do this to you but I've broken my leg and I cannot watch Harry this afternoon. I hope it's not too much of a bother…"

Harriet spent the rest of the day sitting on her couch and nursing her broken leg that remained in a large blue cast. She propped it up on pillows like the doctor had instructed and placed a large bag of frozen peas on it to keep the swelling down. When it was time for bed, she hobbled into her bathroom and stood in front of her bathroom mirror looking at herself staring back.

The youthful features of her once heart-shaped face were now masked with deep lines and ridges of old age. The brown sleek hair that she so easily tied up in her bun for work in the morning was now replaced with gray fly away frizz that stuck out under a bonnet cap she wore to tame it. Staring back at her were not her bright and young brown eyes but dull and worn eyes of an aged woman. Harriet scowled at herself as the chestnut cat jumped up onto the bathroom counter and meowed.

Turning away from the mirror to grab a towel off the rack behind her, Harriet nearly crashed into professor McGonagall who suddenly stood beside her in the tiny rose colored bathroom. Crying out her surprise, Harriet teetered backwards but caught herself on the counter before toppling to the floor.

"Professor! What are you doing here!?" she breathed both surprised and a little frustrated.

"Have you seen the news Harriet?" the professor asked her face darkening. Harriet had the TV on in the other room but she had not been paying attention to it. By the look on the professor's face however, something told her that she wasn't going to like it.

Grabbing her crutches and hobbling back to the living room, Harriet grabbed the remote from the coffee table and turned up the volume on a news report. Professor McGonagall followed her as Tufty slinked close to the professor's heels.

"…I'm reporting from the Zoo where apparently a young boy released a snake from the reptile habitat earlier this afternoon. Police say they do not know how the boy managed it since the habitat is fully enclosed in glass but they are urging people to report any large snakes in the area…"

The pretty blonde reporter kept on with her story but Harriet stopped listening when Professor McGonagall interrupted the news with her stern voice.

"Harry went to the zoo today with the Dursleys…"

"Yes, my leg was broken and I couldn't watch him. What does that have to do with a snake escaping from the zoo?"

Tufty let out a meow as the professor rubbed her forehead, "Harry let the snake escape by magic Harriet. This is why you must be responsible for watching him, he could harm himself and a lot of other muggles."

Harriet's heart raced as she sunk down into the corduroy of her couch. She was the one responsible for the mishap today, not the unfortunate boy who had no idea who he was or what he was capable of just yet. All Harriet could think to do was whisper a soft sorry to Professor McGonagall as she clasped her hands in her lap tightly.

The professor sighed and sat down next to her patting her hands softly, "It's not your fault dear, he's getting more powerful and it is dangerous when a wizard of his caliber is not aware of what he is capable of. The good news is he will be going to school soon and the burden of this responsibility will be lifted off you."

Harriet nodded as the Professor rose from the couch again fixing her robes and her pointy hat that was perched on her head.

"And our agreement?" Harriet interjected looking up at McGonagall suddenly.

"It still stands my dear, Celeste will attend Hogwarts with Harry so long as she takes over the responsibility of keeping on eye on him there." The Professor promised. After a brief pause she added lightly, "Do you know the condition of the girl's magic?"

Harriet shook her head slowly, "I only lost my magic after…well…and now I am considered a squib…but she…"

"Say no more" the professor cut her off then added, "By the way, where is she?"

Harriet pointed to the chestnut cat that was now rubbing herself against the professor's legs, "She's not too happy about the cat thing by the way, she got angry at me for not feeding her on time and caused this." She lifted her leg that was wrapped up in the cast heavily.

"Well I suppose you both have earned a little bit of time out of character for now…but I will be back soon to return the spell." The professor acknowledged taking her wand out of her sleeve.

She murmured a few quick words and a white blinding light shot out from the end of her wand engulfing both Harriet and the cat simultaneously. Once the white glow had faded, a young and youthful Harriet blinked up at her from the couch looking at her hands in wonder. A young girl with chestnut colored hair and hazel eyes sat on the ground leaning against the leg of Professor McGonagall batting her eyes in surprise.

"I'm a girl again?" she questioned looking at her hands and then kicking her legs out from under her to touch her toes.

"I'm not an old crazy cat lady!" Harriet laughed touching her face and freeing her hair from the bonnet she had worn before so she could feel it's long lengths.

The professor nodded, "Yes, but only from tonight. The spell will return once the sun comes up tomorrow."

"Thank you professor!" Harriet breathed happily picking up Celeste and hugging her. The professor nodded and vanished from the room leaving the two to their elation.

"I hate being a cat." Celeste pouted once her mother relented to putting her down.

"It's only for a short while dear, then you'll be attending the best school to learn magic." Harriet promised her as she smoothed down her hair.

"I thought you said that you didn't do magic mom."

Harriet sighed, "No dear, but that doesn't mean you can't."

As Celeste snatched up the TV remote and plopped herself down in front of it to watch, Harriet ached with the hope that she would have some talent in magic. She had given everything for her to attend Hogwarts but that was no guarantee that she was going to have magical abilities.


End file.
